Henry Ruggs III | WR | Alabama
Height | 6-0
Weight | 190
College Bio Page
Career Stats
Strengths
To paraphrase Lightning McQueen, Henry Ruggs III is speed.
There may be no player in the 2020 draft class as fast as Ruggs, who ran an absurd 4.25 40-yard dash at his junior Pro Day in March. He accelerates off the ball with impressive quickness, he has insane acceleration out of his breaks and has the deep speed to outrun practically every defender in the nation on a vertical route.
The wide out is a genuine threat to beat John Ross’ 4.22 time at the Combine. His athleticism translates well after the catch, as he has good lateral quickness and the ability to make defenders miss in the open field. With a 17.6 career yards-per-reception average and 24 touchdowns in three seasons as of this writing, he is a proven deep threat with big-play potential.
Ruggs is far from just a speed receiver, though. He has shown flashes of nuance in his route tree through sinking his hips into his cuts and showing off body control when flipping his hips or making tough adjustments to the ball. He has natural ball skills and can track down balls at a high level. Ruggs is also a tough runner after the catch, showing off impressive contact balance and determination for a receiver with his frame.
Weaknesses
Though he’ll beat defenders with speed, don’t expect Ruggs to physically overwhelm anybody at the next level.
Listed at 190 pounds, Ruggs has a pretty skinny frame and doesn’t possess top-end length. He has yet to prove that he can separate from press-man coverage very well, and he is far from the most physical receiver in jump-ball situations. He could benefit from bulking up a bit and working on his hand techniques to sharpen up his releases. Though he has shown some potential in stemming his routes, he could stand to be a bit more consistent in that regard, as well.
Ruggs’ lack of top-end production isn’t a major concern, considering he’s had to fight for touches with teammates Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle and Calvin Ridley at wide receiver. Still, Ruggs never topped 1,000 yards in a single season and has never finished higher than third on his team in receiving yards. There could be a tiny bit of concern attached to selecting him as a No. 1 target in the pros.
Bottom Line
Speed kills in today’s NFL, and Ruggs has that in spades.
The dynamic playmaker is an athletic mismatch for just about any cornerback, and he has shown he has more tools in his skill set than the average speedy receiver. Even in a stacked receiver class like this one, Ruggs belongs firmly in first-round conversation.
